In this first issue of Future Rail for 2017, we take a look at some of the biggest rail projects planned for the year, including New York Penn Station’s long-awaited $1.6bn renovation.

With a focus on safety we run down how researchers hope to turn locomotives into track inspection vehicles and assess the new guidance on dealing with onboard alcohol and intoxicated passengers.

We also examine the UK’s new delay compensation rules to ask how fair they are for rail operators, and find out about green initiatives making headway, such as the schemes unveiled by Alstom and Bombardier at InnoTrans Berlin 2016.

In this issue

A Year in Rail
Worldwide, work is progressing on a number of rail projects, from a new metro in Melbourne to Kenya’s ambitious cross-border standard gauge railway. Gary Peters profiles some of 2017’s biggest rail projects.
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Powering the Trains of Tomorrow
InnoTrans 2016 was, as expected from the world's largest rail trade fair, full of bold plans. Cutting through the speculation, two stuck out: Alstom’s Coradia iLint and Bombardier’s Talent 3. Gary Peters takes a closer look.
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Penn Station set for Makeover
For years, New Yorkers have referred to Penn Station as the city’s “ugliest train station”. Now, after multiple delays, Governor Andrew Cuomo has revealed plans to improve the station. Eva Grey reports.
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Turning Locomotives into Track Monitors
The University of Huddersfield’s Institute of Railway Research is working with Siemens to develop a sensor system that could turn any rail vehicle into a track monitor. Rod James looks at how things are progressing.
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Changing the Rules on Rail Compensation
It’s an announcement familiar to commuters and long distance travellers alike: “We’re sorry to announce that this service is delayed.” Gary Peters finds out about a new government scheme that aims to change the rules on rail compensation.
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Tackling Alcohol Consumption on Britain’s Railways
Despite managing one of Europe’s safest railways, UK operators are still faced with the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption. Eva Grey finds out what can rail companies can do to help eliminate the risk to staff and passengers.
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Tech Transforming the Passenger Experience
Understanding the customer experience is key to fostering loyal, valuable relationships with travellers, but how can train companies use technology to connect? Rebecca Crook of The BIO Agency discusses.
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Next issue preview

The UK’s rail industry is dominated by big franchises, holding the rights to large swathes of track. But a new industry consultation on an open access passenger service may change this. So what is open access and how might it expand in the future?

We also look into the new plans for the second phase of the UK’s High Speed rail project, find out whether a new partnership between Amtrak and Uber can encourage public and private transport to create an interconnected transit network, and delve into the history of Portugal’s railways.

Plus, we ask experts how drones can be safely and efficiently integrated into rail accident investigations and examine Trainline’s plans to launch mobile tickets into the Apple Wallet in a rail industry first.

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